Your Favourite Holiday
by SeasonAimee
Summary: Near and his endless holiday adventures?
1. Saint Francis de Sales

"Be who you are and be that well."

-Saint Francis de Sales

Race cars and action figures lie scattered across the carpet. There are roads made up of dice and toothpicks for trucks to drive through. A dartboard is posted on the far wall across from the mat dedicated to toys a plenty. His toys: the small boy that dwells in the room, almost in confinement. He loves those toys, well not loves; it's more of obsessive of them. They are his thinking strategy. This compulsive need is what he uses to explain his thoughts.

Near didn't mind be looked at as nothing but an innocent child, at first glance. He would sometimes use it as an advantage. The white, flannel pajamas probably didn't make him look any older.

Today wasn't any different from any other day in Whammy's. Except for that it was the day before Easter. Most holidays pass by, with the exception of Christmas and New Years, but this holiday was unusually popular this year on account of Mello's shortage in chocolate.

He had decided to make his way around the building with a large sign that clearly read: "give me chocolate tomorrow and I won't tell Roger about you know what". When reading this your first guess would be, how did Mello find out? But after rereading it, something in the back of your mind tells you that you are quite gullible and need to acquire chocolate anyways because it is a holiday. A holiday that Near wished would go by unnoticed, like the others.

Not only did he not have any way of obtaining chocolate by the next morning, but he had enough on his mind besides Mello. Tomorrow was scheduled to be a visit from L.

Many times L had said he would visit, but had been rerouted and too busy to pass by. This wasn't an abnormal occurrence for Near. On the contrary, there were more planned but rescheduled visits from L than there were actual visitations. This didn't fluster Near as much as it would have if he depended on L for everything, which he didn't. He was sure that it wasn't an obsession, just another one of those compulsive needs.

For now, Near sat in his playroom on his mat that lay beneath his action figures and robots. One knee raised and the other underneath him, he grabbed two of his toys. Something about a quiet afternoon in the comfort of his own possessions enlightened him to think a little more positively about his idol nearing appearance. Maybe this time he would come and join them for a holiday. He would have too, he loves candy and sweets. This must be his favourite day of the year, besides Halloween of course.

"Good morning, Near. How are you?"

He played out the scene with his action figures; a plastic Superman walked up to a small Robin and talked in a small voice.

Robin talked back: "Hi, L. I am good, how are you? I have missed you a lot."

Near knew that the conversation would probably not be carry out like he wanted it to, but he continued. The Superman edged closer to the Robin contently.

"I've missed you too, but now I am back. This time, I will not be leaving."

"You won't? Why?"

"Near, I love you too much to leave you again."

Superman and Robin dropped to the ground. A slightly shaking pale hand rose to meet his curly white locks and began to attempt his third compulsive need; to twirl his finger through his hair. With a small cry he dropped his hand and placed his head on his knee. He felt a tear slide down his soft cheek and he raised his head angrily.

"No!"

L wasn't going to miss this visit. It was his choice on whether or not he came to the orphanage to see him and Mello. Falsely accusing his hero of forgetting or not caring was wrong of him. L always had a reason for what he did. There was always a reason. For now he had to wait and see what happened.

Near let go of another tear and took hold of a red robot.

The door burst open behind him.

"Near!"

He turned slowly to see Mello standing in the door way, a pair of goggles in his hand.

"I can't fucking find him! Matt is fucking gone! Where is he, Near?!"

Mello ran into the playroom and grabbed Near by the collar of his pajamas and lifted him off the floor. He pulled him close and looked straight into his eyes. Terror filled them quickly.

"I don't know, Mello. He must be here somewhere, I don't believe he would just up and leave." Near replied quietly, starting to shake again. He could feel the tears coming back, but he couldn't let them go. Not in front of Mello.

"Do you think I haven't fucking looked everywhere? He isn't in this goddamn orphanage, Near! Where is he? Where the fuck could he have gone?!"

Mello dropped Near and pushed him back. He could see the tears welling up and didn't want to be the cause of them, even thought he knew he was.

"I don't know, Mello," he repeated angrily, "I am as lost as you. Why don't you ask Roger?"

The thing with Mello is that once he starts swearing, it is very hard for him to stop. Another thing is that when he doesn't stop swearing, he gets angrier. Thus, the more Mello swears, the angrier he gets. Every action has an equal reaction.

"For fucks sake! How stupid do you think I am?! I am in line with you for L's succession, brilliant one! Did you honestly think I hadn't fucking thought of that? Matt has been missing all fucking morning, and I have a feeling that you know where the fuck he is! Now tell me!"

A small group of children had formed around the doorway since Mello had walked in screaming. They whispered to each other, wondering what was going on and why the two smartest boys in all of Whammy's were fighting. Even though Mello and Near often got in each other's faces, it had been a while since they got into a screaming match with each other. Though this was more of Mello screaming at Near and Near hoping Mello would get to the point and then shut up.

Whipping the tears quickly with his sleeve, Near stepped towards Mello and looked him heatedly in the eyes. Out of all the days Mello could have chosen to get frustrated with him, today was the worst.

"I do not know where Matt is, Mello. I haven't seen him since yesterday. Maybe he went out to buy something? Did you ever think of that, Einstein?" Near very rarely tried to offend anyone, so he didn't really know what to say to Mello without swearing.

Mello looked away suddenly and turned to the group settling outside the room. "All of you, piss off!"

The children scattered quickly and quietly.

"Mello, tomorrow is Easter. He probably went to buy you candy and chocolate." Near still stared at Mello angrily.

"Oh. Of course he did." Mello nodded and left the room silently. There wasn't anything left to say. All he had wanted was to know where his best friend had run off to.

Again, Near wished that this holiday would pass unmarked like the others. He let himself fall back on to the floor in his awkward sitting position and pushed aside the action figures. A hand in his head of curls once more, he thought about what he would give to L when he arrived. What kind of gift?

Penniless, he tried to brainstorm ideas of things he could _make_ for L. Maybe he would like some cupcakes. Near wasn't quite sure how to make them but Matt was good at cooking and would help him whenever he decided to show up. Or maybe a cake: shortcake with strawberries. Wasn't that L's favourite?

He didn't know. Apparently there were a lot of things Near didn't know today. This wasn't very comforting. Being aware of everything was another one of his compulsive needs. It seemed he had a lot of those. That, in the end, wasn't very comforting either.

Near got up and headed for the kitchen. If there was any place to look for something to give to L for Easter, that would be the first place to look.

The hallways weren't as crowded as usual; dinner time usually stole away the children from the halls for a few hours. So he shuffled through Whammy's in complete stillness until he entered the kitchen.

The white kitchen was filled with bustling volunteers that worked full-time. They ran around filling plates and cooking the dinners for geniuses. Watching the white-coated bees fly around the metal and ceramic floors was enough to help Near lose his appetite if he had one.

He snuck in and around all of the workers to the cupboard where many of the cookbooks were kept. It was normal for children to come into the kitchen to make something to eat, most of them could eat whenever they see fit. So no one noticed Near looking through the cupboard.

He found a book on cookies and cakes. It wasn't that thick, but the hardbound cover made it a little heavy. Weakly, he lifted the book from the shelf and, holding it against his chest, left the kitchen happily. He had accomplished his first task. Next was to find the recipe.

Near flipped through the book, almost aimlessly. He had been looking for a recipe for the last 20 minutes and he hadn't found anything of any interest that would prove to L how much he cared for him. Beginning to give up the search, Near turned the page and saw it:

**Strawberry Shortcake with Chocolate Sauce**

It was perfect.


	2. Arnold H Glasow

"Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time."

-Arnold H. Glasow

Near had never made a cake before, so he wasn't completely sure why it had turned out so well. There was no use complaining. It was almost midnight when he had finished the last of the chocolate sauce. The cake was easier to make than he expected.

A kitchen worker walked in at midnight to clean up and help him to bed. She placed the cake in the fridge for him and guided him to a small room in the hallway on the 3rd floor.

Near shared the room with a small, mousey boy that had brown hair. He believed that the boy's name was Patrick, but his alias that was used was Mouse. Hence, the way he looked. It didn't make him sound as amazing as most of the Whammy orphans, but Mouse was one of the best decoders. There were many Rubik's Cubes littered around his side of the room; most of them solved.

Near's side of the room was neat and tidy. It looked almost untouched: it was unused because of his compulsive need to think outside of his place of sleep. He slipped slowly into bed, too excited to sleep. Tomorrow was Easter and L was going to visit! This time he was almost certain. But he couldn't get rid of the feeling in the back of his mind that there was something wrong.

6 am.

It was kind of early for any normal human being, but Near couldn't sleep if he tried. He had been up all night playing scenarios of him and L in his head. None of them had ended up the way he wanted, but he quickly dismissed that fact and got up to check on the cake.

Knowing Mello, he might have eaten it during the night because he saw the chocolate. Near hadn't labeled it saying "For L" which might have been a smart idea. The cake was fine. No one had touched it during the night; this was a calming thought.

He left the kitchen and wandered off to the office of Roger, the man in charge of Whammy's. Maybe he would know when L was going to arrive. It was plausible. Shouldn't he know when the most intelligent man in the world was going to show up on his doorstep?

Apparently not.

Near left with less satisfaction then he had entered with. Roger had no idea when or if L was going to come see anyone today. Which didn't help Near because now the chance of L arriving was 60. Which was a pretty accurate number, on account of originally being 50 because no one knew if or if not he was coming, BUT there was also another 10 added on because it was Easter (L wouldn't give up a chance for free chocolate).

Indifferent and sort of tired, he walked towards the entrance hall of the orphanage. If L did show up, then Near would be the first to see him.

The entrance hall was a large room that had 3 doors and a main staircase that led to the second floor. The door parallel to the staircase was the front door and was almost twice as tall as Near. It was a double door because of the age of the building. In the room were a few living room chairs and a small table against the far left wall, it had a vase of purple flowers sitting upon it.

He sat in one of the chairs and waited.

After a few minutes he wished he had brought a toy with him. He missed his robots sitting in the playroom. There was no way of getting them without leaving the door unguarded. Maybe some poor little kid would pass by and he could force him to run upstairs and get one for him. Where is Mouse when you need him?

Near looked around the room once more to see if there was anything that could entertain him. Maybe he could put a flower necklace together for L. He doubted that L would enjoy something like that. Then he saw it. There was a small cupboard underneath the stairs that held random objects and was used as a storage unit. Usually gardening supplies and other maintenance equipment was placed in the cupboard so that it was out of the way. But recently they had turned one of the small unused rooms into a storage closet.

After looking at the door for assurance, Near quickly walked to the cupboard and opened the small door. Inside were a few brooms and a bucket. He also found a small, rubber ball in the far corner. It was blue and slightly deflated, but the answer to his boredom, nonetheless.

With his little ball, Near walked hastily back to the chair. He bounced the ball on the maroon carpet a few times before attempting to spin it on his forefinger. It wasn't easy on account of the flatness of the ball. He also didn't have great coordination.

After a few minutes playing with the ball, he was uninterested once again. There is only so much you can do with a ball by yourself. Near dropped the ball and watched it roll towards the front door slowly. He suddenly heard a slam and concluded it must be a car door.

Excitedly, he ran to the window next to the front door. Outside was a black limo in the driveway. He could see Mr. Whammy himself walking around the back of the car to the backseat door. The door was opened, and a rugged man stepped out.

L was dressed in his usual attire; baggy, blue jeans and a white, long-sleeved shirt that was too big for him. He wore white sneakers that also looked too big and had big bags under his eyes. There must be a big case being worked on. His black hair was messy. In his hand was a large, white plastic bag. Presents!

The man began to walk towards the building, one hand in his pocket. Watari walked at his side.

Near stepped back from the window and stood in front of the door. He knew L would come. He knew it. This was a special day. Now he was going to be the first to see him.

The door opened to reveal his idol, and he bound forward into L's arms.

The bag dropped from his hand, as L reached for something to stop himself from falling over. Colourful candy spilled on to the floor. Near grasped onto his white shirt with small, pale hands and a smile appeared on the man's face.

"Hello, Near. How are you?"

Grinning, Near looked up and saw L smiling back at him. "I am quite alright, how are you, L?" The small boy nuzzled himself back into L's arms, greedily. He had only a few minutes before one of the other children saw that he had arrived.

Gently, L untangled Near from his shirt. He lowered himself to the boy's height and looked in his eyes. "I have missed you. I brought you something." A slender hand reached towards the bag and pulled out a shiny blue robot wrapped in a white ribbon. It had buttons that made sounds and movable arms.

Near gasped slightly and held the robot close to him. He gave L a quick peck on the cheek and his grin widened. "I have something for you too! Please, come with me?"

He pulled the detective by the sleeve towards the staircase. Watari quickly cleaned up the candy mess and followed behind them obediently.

It wasn't long before it got around that L was in the Whammy Orphanage. Boys and girls ran around calling for the greatest detective in the world. They tried to get a hug if not a handshake from him, but Near held on tight to his sleeve, determined to keep L as long as he possibly could. He missed L the most.

They were almost too the kitchen, when Near saw a blonde boy step out of one of the doors leading to the kitchen. He was licking chocolate from his fingertips. Around his wrist was a plastic bag full of candy, most of it from Matt, most likely.

Mello saw L before he noticed Near. Without thought, he ran and jumped into L's arms, knocking Near against the wall into Watari. A happy Mello looked up at his hero, as the small boy mumbled an apology to the owner of the Orphanage.

"Uhh, hi, Mello," grunted the L. He pulled the blonde boy off of him and held him firmly by the shoulders, "I have something for you, Happy Easter!" He reached into the bag Watari had been holding and gave Mello 5 large chocolate bars. Before Mello could say anymore, L patted his head and let Near pull him to kitchen by his sleeve once again.

The kitchen was almost completely empty, except for the excessive amount of kids struggling to get into the door after L. Near guided him to a stool at a counter and ran to the fridge that held his masterpiece. Smiling, he opened the fridge, and to his dismay saw that there was only a small sliver of cake left. The rest of the plate was completely empty and almost licked clean.

Near let out a whimper and picked up the plate. He walked towards L with tears in his eyes. Not only had he tried so hard to come up with the best gift for his best friend, but he had made a stupid mistake by not writing who it was for on it so that no one would eat it.

"This was for you, but someone ate it all."

L smiled weakly. He knew that Near must have worked very hard on it.

"Now, the way I see it, we have 2 options, Near."

The small boy looked up hopefully.

"We can either, make another cake; the two of us. Or, we can investigate to find out the culprit of the missing cake mystery." L stood from his stool and placed his hands on his hips, a determined look upon his face. "This has already been the best Easter ever, Near. Do not worry about a little cake mishap. There is a lot more that we can do."

Half-smiling, Near placed the last piece of cake on the counter. He had an idea.

"There is only one way to discover who ate the cake," said Near, "and he has left us the perfect way to figure out who it was."

L placed his thumb to his bottom lip and gazed at Near with a puzzled look. Then, after looking at the cake once more, he nodded and told Watari to meet him upstairs.

Near had a plan.


End file.
